Bicycle



(No Model.)

J. WHEATLEY.

BICYCLE.

Patented June 8, 1897.

ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT EErcE.

JOSEPH W HEATLEY, OF MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE.

BICYCLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 584,200, dated June 8,1897'.

Application filed December 22, 1896. Serial 170. 616,616. No model.)

T (Lil 1072,0722, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH WHEATLEY, of Memphis, in the county of Shelbyand State of Tennessee, have invented new and useful Improvements inBicycles, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

This invention relates more particularly to drivinggear for bicycles;and the object is to provide a gear in which there is considerableincrease of power in comparison to the driving-gear ordinarily employed,and, further to provide a driving-gear by means of which a high rate ofspeed may be attained.

I will describe a bicycle embodying my invention and then point thenovel features in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a bicycle embodying my invention. Fig. 2is an enlarged view of the driving mechanism. Fig. 3 is a section on theline 3 3 of Fig. 2, and Fig. dis a section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the rear brace-bar of abicycle-frame, and 2 indicates the rear fork. Arranged to rock on a stud3, extended from the main member 1, is a sprocket-wheel 4, over whichthe sprocketchain 5 passes. The sprocket-wheel 4 will preferably beprovided with annular beveled flanges on its periphery to form guidesfor the chain. The chain 5 may engage with guide rollers 6', mounted onarms 7, extended rearward from the frame member 1.

The lower ends of the chain 5 are connected, respectively, topedal-levers 8 and 9. These pedal-levers at their rear ends are mountedto swing on the axle of the rear wheel, and in order to steady thepedals I connect them with a strap 10, of flexible material, whichextends around a roller 11, mounted on a hanger 12, depending from thebicycle-frame. The forward ends of the pedal-levers are provided withthe usual foot-blocks 13.

To prevent the pedals from moving too far downward, I provide stops inthe form of pins 11, extended laterally from the hanger 12.

Attached to the sprocket-wheel 4; is a bevelgear 14, meshing withbevel-gears 15 and 16, loosely mounted on a shaft 17, extended at Thisshaft' 17 is mounted to rotate in a bearing or bearings 18 on the rearfork 2. Rigidly mounted on the shaft 17, at the outer side of eachbevel-gear 15 and 16, is a ratchet-wheel 19, and pivotally connected toeach wheel 15 and 16 isa series of dogs 26, adapted for engagement withthe ratchet-Wheels.

Rigidly secured to the shaft 17is a sprocketwheel 21, from which asprocket-chain 22 extends to the sprocket-Wheel 23 on the rearwheelaxle. By this construction it will be seen that when the pedal-leversare alternately moved up and down the sprocket- Wheel 4. will be rockedor oscillated and cause the wheels 15 and 16 to alternately operate theshaft 17that is, when the said sprocket- Wheel 4 is rocked in onedirection it will rotate the bevel-wheel 15, and as this bevelwheel 15has a clutch engagement with the shaft 17, consisting of the dogs andratchet- Wheel, the shaft 17 will be rotated. At this time the wheel 16will of course be rotated, but in a direction to draw its dogs over theratchet-teeth, and of course when the wheel a is rocked in the oppositedirection the wheel 16, being in clutch engagement with the shaft 17,will rotate said shaft. It will be noted that there will be nointermission of the rotary movement of the shaft.

The bevel-gear 14 may be termed a curved rack, and it is obvious thatthis rack need not extend entirely around the wheel or make a completecircle, as the same result would obtain if curved racks at the oppositesides engaged, respectively, with the wheels 15 and 16; and, further, itis to be understood that a segment provided with sprocket-teeth may beemployed in lieu of the wheel 4., as the same has only a limited rockingmovement.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. A driving-gear for bicycles, comprising asprocket-Wheel mounted to rock or oscillate on a stud carried by thebicycle -frame, a sprocket-chain engaging said sprocket-wheel, fulcrumedpedablevers to which the lower ends of the chain are attached, a curvedrack on the sprocket-Wheel, a shaft mounted to rotate on thebicycle-frame and arranged at right angles to the axis of said sprocket-wheel,

bevel-gears loosely mounted on said shaft and meshing with the curvedrack, clutch devices between the shaft and gear-wheels, a sprocketwheelrigidly secured on one end of the said shaft, and a sprocket-chainconnecting said sprocket-wheel with a sprocket-wheel on the axle of therear Wheel of the bicycle, substantially as specified.

2. A driving mechanism for bicycles, comprising a sprocket-wheel mountedto rock on the bicycleframe, the said sprocket-wheel being provided withannular beveled flanges on its periphery, a sprocket-chain extendingover said sprocket-Wheel, pedal-levers mounted to rock on the rear axleof the bicycle, and

to which the lower ends of the sprocket-chain are attached, a hangerdepending from the bicycle-frame, a roller mounted on the lower:

end of the said hanger, a flexible strap extending around the saidroller and having its ends connected with the pedal-levers,a curved rackon the sprocket-Wheel, bevel-gears 1n eshing with said rack, adriving-shaft upon which said bevel-gears are loosely mounted,ratchetwheels fixed to the said driving-shaft, dogs pivoted to thebevel-gears and engaging with said ratchet-wheels, a sprocket-wheelrigidly secured on the said driving -shaft, and a sprocket chainextending therefrom to a sprocketwvheel on the rear axle of the bicycle,substantially as. specified.

3. A driving-gearfor bicycles, comprising a sprocket-wheel mounted torock on a stud extended from the rear brace of the bicycleframe, abevel-rack on said sprocket-wheel, a driving-shaft extended at rightangles to the axis of the sprocket-wheel, bevel-gears loosely mounted onsaid shaft and engaging with the rack, ratchet-wheels rigidly secured tothe shaft, dogs pivoted to the bevel-gears Witnesses:

ALFRED D. Mason, CARRINGTON l\."[ASON.

